In a series of four interrelated reports, Rand work to date for the Air Force on the development of methodologies for designing programs of instruction is reported. This report, the first of the series, describes MODIA (A Method of Designing Instructional Alternatives), a comprehensive methodology for designing an instructional system. MODIA…

This conference paper discusses the role of the Planning, Programing, and Budgeting System (PPBS) in planning for educational programs. Proper PPBS analysis includes (1) correct problem definition, (2) consideration of alternative solutions, (3) ascertainment of peripheral effects of the alternatives, and (4) estimations of the cost and…

The purpose of this paper is to argue for cost-effectiveness analysis as an aid to decisionmaking but not as a substitute for it. An attempt is made to demonstrate that it is possible to present information about educational programs that is far more useful to decisionmakers than the oversimplified and often dangerous approaches now in use.…

Educators often fail to implement improved teaching systems because they lack a method of choosing among instructional alternatives. The Rand Coporation is developing for the Air Force a means--called Method of Designing Instructional Alternatives (MODIA)--whereby instructors can select a preferred instructional system. Using MODIA, one begins by…

Two important elements of a method of designing instructional alternatives (MODIA) are comprehensively discussed in this paper. The "Questionnaire for Stating General Policy" is briefly reviewed to reveal how goals, student population variations, and operations must be accommodated before specifying instructional strategies. The actual…